The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) 9^th Annual Solo and Small Firm Conference will be held Thursday through Saturday, October 3–5, at the Westin Northwest Chicago, 400 Park Boulevard, in Itasca. Early registration discounts are available through September 6, 2013.

The event, considered the premiere conference in Illinois dedicated to meeting the needs of the solo and small firm lawyer, offers attendees numerous educational sessions, networking opportunities, and an exhibit hall that showcases services and products to help solo and small firm lawyers expand their careers and improve the efficiency of their law practices.

Attendees can choose from four tracks of programming – substantive law, legal technology, effective and ethical practice, and nuts & bolts – with topics such as the iPad For Lawyers, Landmines in Opening Your Own Practice and What You Need to Know About E-discovery, to the top 10 things you need to know about family law and law firm marketing strategies in a social media world. The plenary speaker at Friday’s luncheon is Stephen Fairley, a nationally recognized law firm marketing expert, who will discuss practical tips and tactics he has discovered from working with over 9,000 attorneys across the nation.

The cost is $350 per person for ISBA members and $625 per person for non-members through September 6. Thereafter, the cost is $425 and $725, respectively.  For more information and to register, visit http://www.isba.org/soloconference

The 32,000-member ISBA (isba.org), with offices in Springfield and Chicago, provides professional services to Illinois lawyers, and education and services to the public through a website (illinoislawyerfinder.com), consumer brochures, and distribution of legal information.